Hard to Love?
by Happy Pistachio
Summary: Two models, one photoshoot. Two of the biggest names in the fashion world come together for a project that will test their patience and their restraint; beyond the teasing and jibes, could there be something more hiding beneath?
1. Chapter 1

Hate to Love – Hard to Love

Her stunning violet eyes enraptured every single gaze that it met, but most of all the photographer who was staring at her through the camera. So untouchably austere and filled with a cold that spoke of nobility, Erina Nakiri's face was a sight to behold. Sweeping a curled lock of strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and peering at the camera beneath her long lashes, there was a click that signaled a photo captured.

"That's a wrap!" the photographer couldn't seem to wait and immediately turned to look at the image that was taken on the monitor by his side, knowing that the higher-ups would be more than happy with the pictures, especially the last one.

"Erina-sama," her pink-haired secretary was at her side at once, agenda held as always in her hands, "You did wonderfully, as you always do."

The woman in question merely nods her head in assent, seemingly preoccupied with some errant thought as she begins to make her way to the dressing room. The dress she was modeling provided little warmth in the drafty shooting area, so she was anxious to be rid of it and change into her working clothes.

"After we leave here at three, we are scheduled to have an appointment with Hibiscus, an up and coming luxury fashion house before the dinner at Golden Gate with the designer." Hisako's instructions caused Erina to raise an eyebrow with slight interest.

"Please inform me as to why I would be modeling for an 'up and coming' fashion house? I don't remember seeing a contract for Hibiscus," while tucking her button up into a sensible but fashionable business skirt, the model asked.

"I'm sorry Erina-sama," her secretary apologized, head downcast. "But Alice-sama would not relent, it's her new pet project and she was very adamant that you model as your show of support."

"And of course she would go bully you instead of trying to bully me into it," Erina shook her head, too used to her cousin's antics. Alice had always had a playful streak, so it didn't surprise her that if she ever opened up a fashion house that she would exploit her this way.

Shrugging on her blazer in an enviously smooth movement, the violet-eyed supermodel spoke again, "Do not apologize, you did nothing wrong."

. . .

Nakiri Erina was born to be a star, there was no question as to this fact, but the question of how she became one. Coming from a family with a history that ran deep and pockets that ran deeper, her life has always been one of absolutes.

While she was born into luxury, she was also stripped of the luxury of youth. From a young age, she had known that whatever she chose to be, there was never the possibility of being number two. She would _always_ be number one.

So from the moment she first debuted as a model, she had never looked back. It seemed that high fashion was made to be worn by her, there was a seamless way that she wore what may have seemed ridiculous clothing on anyone else. There was no denying that the woman knew uncannily what was going to look so good that people could not look away. The world had never known such a genius and she had the entire globe at her fingertips.

Which could also be said for Nakiri Alice whom she was sitting directly in front of.

"Cousin, you're looking," Alice's startling pale eyes glinted with her usual mischief, pink lips curled into a smile that seemed to hint at her amusement at some secret Erina didn't know, "_well_."

Erina struggled not to pinch the bridge of her nose, conversations with Alice were never fun as the woman had absolutely no shame, "Thank you, although I must say your current attire is much more…_matronly_ than usual."

"I've been too busy designing to be worrying about what I'm wearing," Alice responded, chin tilted slightly in annoyance, "Besides aren't you going to ask me how business is going?"

"I know it's going well," at this Erina's face softens slightly, a genuine smile on her face as she relishes in the fact that her flighty cousin had finally found something that brought her happiness. Alice was truly passionate about her fashion house and it showed in the way she would forgo contact with her family for weeks on end when her muse strikes her.

Alice had finally found her dream.

"I know you always do those super _old_ and _boring_ photoshoots all the time," the white-haired woman emphasized, watching as her cousin's delicate eyebrows began furrowing lightly, "So I decided that the newest collection of Hibiscus was going to be displayed in an _unconventional _way."

Erina did not like that word, nor did she miss the devious smirk on Alice's face as she stressed out that particular word. There was a certain person that had always been tied to that particular group of syllables, one that she would rather do without. But that didn't mean the modeling world wanted to do without him, much to her every growing chagrin, looking at the increasing number of magazines he was gracing every season.

. . .

Yukihira Sōma's gaze was magnetizing, his sharp golden eyes were hyper-focused and seemed to pierce through the camera to the photographer whose fingers tremored faintly as they clicked the button. A blinding flash illuminates the dark room, and his picture is processed and shown on the nearby monitor.

His skin was illuminated into a startling pale in contrast to the dark background, one of his hands was in his dark red hair as his luminous yellow eyes glinted with an unspoken promise. Looking at the photo with satisfaction, the director indicated that the shoot was over.

Shinomiya strode over to where Sōma was chatting it up with the makeup artist whose cheeks were flushed a pink that was visible from meters away. After brushing her off, he crosses his arms over his chest as he stares the younger male down, "You think that was good enough?"

Sōma only shrugs nonchalantly, "The photographer seemed to like it, what's the problem?"

His mentor only shook his head, an unspoken disappointment that wafted off of him in waves, "You'll never be signed onto the really big names if you continue doing shoots like this, I know you're not technically a professional, but this won't do."

"I know, alright? I'm just a kid who got lucky off of Instagram," Sōma's jaw clenched, eyes freezing over as he recalled the similar words that rolled off so easily from her tongue. But even then, he never found a single being as breathtaking as she was.

Reaching over and laying a hand on his shoulder, Shinomiya said nothing more and guided the handsome young male to the dressing room. When Sōma gets around to checking his texts, he finds a few from Alice Nakiri, which was never a good sign.

The woman was a certifiable way to come in contact with the one person that he could never ignore, no matter how much he wanted to. After all, there was nothing else that people wanted to do but stare at her, lost in her simplistic movements that were inevitably hypnotizing. Nonetheless, he liked Alice, and for all her excitable energy she was an undeniably talented individual.

"Shinomiya-senpai, Nakiri wants me for a shoot for her fashion house," Sōma calls out to the man who was reading something on his compact laptop, "She says that it'll be a good chance to change up my image, make it less 'plebeian'." His face contorts slightly when he sees the words and struggles not to roll his eyes.

"I mean, there's no way that you could say no." The pink-haired male mutters, "At this time, a Nakiri's words are law in the fashion world. It'll be interesting, I wonder who else will be modelling?"

. . .

"_Erina_?" The name comes out almost as a hiss when he sees her very recognizable secretary sitting outside of the meeting room that he was supposed to enter five minutes ago. Unconsciously he takes inventory of what he's wearing, which consisted of a pair of jeans and t-shirt topped off with an open blazer. It'll have to do.

"Hello ladies," he smiles charmingly at Alice, whose lips were lifted lightly into a smile that held a hint of smugness that did not go unnoticed by the redhead. But any thoughts he had regarding the white-haired woman disappeared when he laid eyes onto the queen herself, Erina. He couldn't seem to help the way that his breath caught in his throat as he took in the way she sat, perched delicately on her seat. Her long blonde hair was coiled into an updo, leaving the pale expanse of her neck and collarbones visible and framed by a clean white blouse that was tucked neatly into a skirt that hugged her slim waist and curvaceous hips.

Erina, to her credit was just as affected but had perfected her ability to keep calm and collected, but even then, she couldn't help but to sneak another glance. The blue of his jeans contrasted appealingly with the red of his hair and seemed to sit deliciously low on his hips while his t-shirt outlined his torso. It wasn't tight enough to make anything out, but it indicated enough towards a lean and toned figure that was emphasized by the blazer that seemed to widen his shoulders. His eyes were that same glowing gold, and the moment it met her violet ones she slid it naturally back to Alice who was looking much too smug.

"I see you've finally decided to grace us with your presence," Alice indicates to the chair next to Erina, asking him to sit down, "We've got quite a few things to talk about. As you know I've decided to launch a brand-new line for the spring and summer but have been looking for the perfect models for the photoshoots."

"Are you sure this isn't just you wanting to set everything on fire?" Sōma chuckles, consciously keeping his gaze off of the woman beside him, "Because I have no doubt this Nakiri is silently plotting for your demise."

The strawberry blonde whips her head to glare at the slyly smiling redhead, "What's that supposed to mean? That I can't be professional even if I have to model with someone like you?"

"Ouch," the word was sarcastic, but even after hearing it for the nth time, it still stung. "Would it kill you to hide your disdain for just a few minutes?" His eyes narrow slightly as he watches her tilt her chin arrogantly, and interrupts whatever she was going to say with, "Oh save it, princess. It's not like it will be something you haven't said already."

"That's fine, I'll just save a few more breaths for something actually worth my time," Erina sniffs delicately, silently fuming at his blatant obnoxiousness. "Like my purse, for example. At least _it _listens and happens to have a better bloodline than you."

"Yeah, talk to your dehydrated piece of cow skin," Sōma rolls his eyes, but relishing the way that she was staring angrily at him. To his knowledge, this was one of his unique abilities, to get the unflappable Erina Nakiri to look as if she was trying to set him aflame using just her eyes.

"Aw, so cute," Alice interrupts the spat between the two biggest names in the modeling world, "This will be perfect! Just what I was looking for."

Perhaps this was the one in a million thing that caused the two to act in perfect concert, swiveling their heads to stare appalled at the white-haired designer who had a grin that stretched widely from ear to ear. A foreboding feeling entered their stomachs as Alice began to outline the schedule for the shoots, knowing that there was no way that either of them were going to say no.

. . .

The first couple of shoots were individual, none the less the two main acts both had to be present at the behest of Alice who claimed that there must be continuity even if they weren't going to be on the set at the same time. When he hears the commotion from behind him, Sōma turns to see Erina stride purposefully into the room. Her long blonde locks were braided into a pair of loose pigtails that suffused her aura with a tinge of youthfulness that seemed almost out of place with her usual aloofness.

Erina _hated_ turtlenecks, and that was the first thing Alice had her model claiming that the centre pieces of today could not be outshone. It was a lovely deep burgundy that played interestingly with the violet of her eyes, but the fabric irritated her to no end even if it wasn't scratchy at all. It was just uncomfortable, and so was the little bag that her cousin had told her was supposed to steal the show.

It was cute while maintaining a certain classiness, the smooth black leather was adorned with small floral motifs and three-dimensional vines that crept along the fabric artfully. In her hair was the other main character of today's shoot, a small tiara that sat delicately on top a cushion of spun gold.

When she catches Sōma's gaze, she feels strangely bashful, her usual confidence waned slightly. She blames the outfit that made her feel younger than she actually was, but it may have had to do with the clothes that he happened to be sporting for the shoot. His hair was even more tousled than usual, fiery red an artful mess that was complimented by the beige slacks and baby-blue sweater he was wearing. A white button up peeked out from beneath the wool, both at the collar and at the hem, making him look like a typical college student that rolled out of bed a tad too late.

For one of the first times, Erina looks away from his gaze in a way that hinted not at derision but of innocent hesitation and perhaps it was only the makeup, but there was a pink that tinted her cheeks that made her look much too tempting. Sōma watches as she steps onto set, the entourage of makeup and hair trailing after her, ensuring that she looked absolutely perfect.

Alice was waiting there and before she left, she waited for Erina to sit down in front of the white table before whispering something into the blonde's exposed ear. Sōma isn't sure what the whitehaired Dane had said, but whatever it was, it caused one of the most becoming blushes to appear on the _princess_'s face. At this, the photographer couldn't help but snap a couple of pictures of this unbelievably rare chance.

"Okay photographer," Alice skipped off of the set with a happy step, "I leave the magic to you, while I finally relish in the chance that I get to boss the great Nakiri Erina around."

Following her cousin's directions, she places the little bag onto the table and begins posing for the camera, all traces of the earlier flustered expression gone and replaced with sterile professionalism.

"She's too good at this, isn't she?" Out of nowhere, Alice is next to Sōma who was watching the processes with a critical eye, "Just a little too…dead."

The redhead nodded in assent, Erina was truly a top tier model without any doubt, however the way she did it was how it was traditionally done. Without too much emotion infused to her, a still life almost. Which to be fair was stunning on its own and fit the criteria that most high-end fashion houses wanted, but it wasn't what _Alice_ wanted.

"You mind flirting with her?" Her voice was deceptively innocent as if the thought had only just struck her, "You know, liven it up a bit."

Sōma snorted, "I don't have a death wish, so unless you have some sort of guarantee, I ain't doing it." Although the idea did have its merits, seeing the usually so put together model flustered was very fun.

"Come on, don't be such a wuss," Alice nudges him, coaxing him into the dangerous waters that came with angering Nakiri Erina, but then again these were the only two people that didn't care a whit for that.

The two of them make their way to the photographer who was busy snapping away, the flashes and clicks making a soothing rhythm. Erina notices them immediately and the pristine expression almost cracks at the sight of Sōma again, she cursed her cousin in her mind. "_I hope you get used to Sōma soon, you guys will be getting much _closer_ by the end of this project_."Somehow, Erina knew Alice did not simply mean in a friendly way, it just wasn't the way she rolled so it was all she could do to not think about it.

But for all her intentions, her eyes slid from the camera to Sōma's face who seemed to have been waiting for her to look his way. Once he had her attention, she watches as a slight curve imprints itself onto his lips and the _idiot_ dares to wink at her, a cheeky one to be sure but the reaction is immediate. A redness blooms onto her cheeks and there is a spark in her eyes that wasn't there before as the movement registers and she looks down.

Her heart is beating just a tad too fast, the feeling foreign as she deliberates her next move. Hesitantly, she lifts her head just slightly before peering upwards through her lashes, the remnants of the earlier blush still tinting her face.

Sōma was having a bit too much fun, seeing Erina's reactions were always amusing but these ones were the best ones he's ever been able to see. So of course, without even Alice encouraging him, he pushes it even more.

When he sees her looking at him again, head still slightly lowered but violet irises trained onto his movements he lets the earlier faint smile deepen into a playful smirk as he raises a hand to beckon her with his pointer finger.

_Bam_.

She couldn't help it; it was all purely reactionary. She jumped up from her seat and slammed her hands onto the white table with a resounding thump, it was then that the camera clicked. Erina's face was a sight to behold, there was a clear expression of anger mixed with a bunch of other emotions. Her pink lips were parted in shock and the crown on her head had become dislodged and was hanging on haphazardly to her head.

"I like this one," Alice's voice broke the heated stare that the two models were holding, "Okay, Yukihira, you're up."

Erina felt rattled, and she _never _felt rattled which was why it took her a moment to react to her cousin's words. Her jaw clenched, she wasn't sure what kind of game that infuriating redhead was playing, but she would take no part in it. Untangling the crown from her hair and placing it haphazardly on the table like Alice had told her to do earlier, she hurriedly retreats to her chair where Hisako was waiting for her.

"Erina-sama," the pink haired woman was slightly concerned, her boss was acting quite strangely today from the way she was puffing her cheeks out (dare she say it?) cutely. "Is everything alright? Would you like something to drink, perhaps?"

"No, please don't bother," she motioned for Hisako to take a seat beside her, "Why do you think he's so popular?" She gently angles her head towards Sōma who was being prepped by Alice.

"Hm?" Hisako muses slightly as she studies the mask that falls easily into place, transforming him from the happy-go-lucky kid to more of a confident and playful college student. He exuded youth, and not just the idea of 'young' but the brashness and headstrong tenacity that people have come to associate with it. And there was no denying it, "He looks good, and people want to see more of him."

Erina sniffs at the answer but doesn't say anything to dispute what her long-time friend and secretary had said even though she knew that it was much more than that. While she had felt uncomfortable dressed so 'young' he seemed to be in his element, looking like any college girl's dream boy. As much as she didn't want to admit it, there was a unique charm to him that attracted eyes and hearts in a way that she knew differed from hers.

. . .

Sōma never thought he would have ever worn something like this, there was nothing to say about the design, it looked amazing hanging on the clothing rack. But he didn't think it was for _him_, it fit him well and the style fit, but the print. It was a vibrant red that was enhanced by the darkness red of his hair, but there were small black flowers embroidered sparingly across the fabric. They were so small that from far away it seemed to be inconspicuous black dots, but it was clear what they were as soon as you were within a couple of meters.

He was so clearly uncomfortable that Erina stifled a chuckle when he steps out of the changerooms, his usual brashness and easy confidence had been stifled slightly. Not to say that he didn't look good, the amount of giggling by the female workers and even some of the male was proof enough.

This time Erina was wearing something more to her tastes, a cute tweed skirt and matching blazer that was paired with a pair of cute white oxford shoes. It was still youthful but held more of an art to them than that godforsaken turtleneck. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail with rich blonde curls at the bottom and yet another crown placed on her head.

Her eyes scanned the new set, with the same pastel but a different colour background and the modern table was replaced with a heavy-looking oak one. A few bookshelves were also rolled in, as if replicating a library within this pastel blue background, Erina found it odd but just ran with it. After all, it was Alice.

Apparently, Sōma was going up first, which left her sitting to the side as she watched him pose a few times. It was definitely not to Alice's liking from the way that she was frowning slightly, and Sōma knew it too. The ease he usually felt in front of the camera was escaping him, as he sat behind the table neatly and tried a few poses at the behest of the photographer.

"You're too stiff, and yet this is one of the things you like to point out about me," her cold voice seemed too loud in the spacious area, "Lighten up Sōma, just do what you usually do or your charm with that jacket is going to wear out."

She was surprisingly close, even a smidgen in front of the camera but the reaction from him was immediate when he hears her words. He rests an arm on the back of the chair, hand dangling loosely as he tilts his chair back slightly, so it rests only on two of its four legs. "So I have charm eh?"

He watches as she stands proudly and tilts her chin up, "Don't misread my words, it's the jacket that gave you whatever limited charm you have." But then to his surprise, she doesn't leave but rather stays there a little longer. Her lips curl into a slight smile as her gaze seems to run up and down his figure before returning to his golden eyes that were filled with surprise. She resists the urge to stick her tongue out at him and satisfies herself with a slight deepening of her smile.

There was a little part of her that said that she really shouldn't have, she should have just left as soon as she had finished speaking, but she couldn't help it. There was a part of her that wanted in on the game he had been playing earlier, which she hoped was not going to going to cause undue trouble later on.

. . .

Their next shoot was bizarre, there was no other word that Erina thought fit more because how else does it explain the dress she was wearing and the motorcycle she spotted on her way in? Perhaps she was overthinking it, but Alice was not the type to do things the way you expected her to in the first place. In the end, she stops worrying and steps out of the dressing room fully outfitted in a blush pink dress that had a short, but voluminous skirt with a waist that sparkled from a line of blinding gold. At least for once, she wasn't wearing those tiaras, although the hefty metal that circled her bicep begged to differ.

Souma knew the dress was supposed to be innocent looking, heck the colour and the cut screamed fairy princess, but Erina somehow made it look seductive at the same time. The fabric hid the shape of her hips but emphasized the tininess of her waist in comparison to her voluptuous chest. He hadn't even noticed he was staring until she walked up to him with an amused glint in her eyes.

"You seem more distracted than usual, I hope that won't be an issue today," while usually he would have taken some offence to that, there was a hidden playfulness to her words that had never been directed towards him.

He waggled his eyebrows exaggeratedly, "Hey, I never said anything when you were staring earlier." Souma watches as she frowns slightly, lips forming a slight pout and continues, "'Sides, you look cute. Can't blame a guy for looking at a cute girl, right?"

At this, against her wishes, her face flushes and to hide her reaction she steps up close to him so she can glare right into his eyes, "Don't call me cute."

The increased proximity seemed not to affect the redhead as he returns her gaze with a slyness that was not caught by the strawberry blonde, "I'll stop calling you that when you stop blushing whenever I do."

She releases him and places her hands on her hips with a proud flick of her hair she enunciates, "I'm holding you to that, and sorry to say, I wasn't staring at you especially if I could stare at my piece of dead cow skin." Before he can respond, she had glided away and went onto the set.

The set today was interesting, there was one with a gilded throne and one with the motorcycle and as asked, Erina stepped onto the throne and settled herself in the seat. Her legs were crossed and as one arm lay across her midsection the other was on the arm of the throne while she laid her head gently on that hand. Slipping a finger into her hair and tugging on a curl so that it came out of her updo, she began twirling it slowly as she stared with a bored expression on her face into the camera.

Alice wasn't unhappy per se, but it was missing something the expression was slightly off, boredom should be the main emotion portrayed. However, she was hoping for an added hint of longing, of some sort of unhappiness that stemmed from being so bored. It was pivotal to the way that she wanted the shoot to go, so when she saw that Erina seemed unable to portray the emotion she wanted, she told her to take a bit of a break. The photographer, on the other hand, decided to stay, it wasn't as if they had something else to do and besides, taking pictures of Nakiri Erina was everyone's dream at this point.

The woman herself stayed seated on her throne in deep thought as she contemplated what Alice wanted, she had always had difficulties in making herself seem emotional. It just wasn't the way she was taught to model, because in the end, it was the clothes that were supposed to shine, not her. But as her mind wandered, her eyes did the same, straying away from the camera and lights to where that infuriating redhead was chatting it up with Hisako.

He was clad in pair of leather pants that fit a tad too well with a leather jacket that was embroidered with a motif of a large vine that wrapped around his shoulders and across his back and curling around his narrow waist. But most of her attention was on the way that he and Hisako were chatting, her childhood friend seemed much more relaxed and from the way her shoulders shook, she was laughing. Hisako always seemed to stifle her laughter with Erina, and this fact made her inexplicably sad, their friendship would always have the undercurrents of their different upbringings. She wasn't sure if it was her fault, but she had always tried to ensure that Hisako wasn't putting herself down but perhaps it was too late.

Unbeknownst to Erina, while her expression remained the same, her eyes had gained a faint sheen of sadness and longing as she watched the two interact. Shaking her head gently, she told herself to focus on the task at hand but even then, she was quite curious about what the two were having so much fun talking about. At this, there was a strange bitterness on her tongue that she did not want to think about, so she finally returned her gaze toward the camera to see the lights flash.

The image captured the turmoil in her eyes too well, while there was the earlier expression of boredom it seemed to serve instead as a mask to the longing and bitterness in her eyes. This was the photo that Alice had wanted and as soon as she saw it, she told Erina to move off set.

. . .

Souma was more in his element now than ever, dressed in casual clothes and leaning against the vintage motorcycle with an easy smile on his face. There was distinct confidence in the way that he posed, which was not Alice wanted. It seemed she was only becoming more and more fickle about the entire thing, nitpicking the slightest of issues and being very blasé about some of the more important things.

"You look too satisfied, there needs to be some sort of spark that kind of hints at a longing or desire for something more," Alice rubs her chin with a pale hand as she studies photos that were already taken. Hm, perhaps the same trick would work on Souma?

Just as she had done with Erina, she leaves the room and waits for fate to do its job. When she leaves, it seems that the male relaxes a little more, photographer notices and just like Erina, he becomes distracted. The object of his fascination was none other than his female counterpart who was conversing with her aide, it was then that a young male shyly approached the two.

Souma said a silent prayer for the kid, knowing that he would likely have to face the wrath of Erina only to see that beyond the initial haughty and dismissive way she looked at him, she did none of that. In fact, she was looking quite serious and attentive as they talked as the younger male jotted down little notes onto a handbook he was holding. Souma was _very _curious, what could they be talking about? But then something shocking happened, Erina smiled, and it wasn't anything like the little condescending smiles he was usually on the receiving end of, but it was genuine even though it was small. And then she reached out and gently took the notepad out of his hands and jotting into it for a few moments and returning it.

As he watched this occurrence, Souma's facial expression had changed slightly there was a faint crease between his brows as he tried to make sense of the scene he had just witnessed. There was a mixture of curiosity and puzzlement in his gaze that was totally unaware of the photographer who was snapping away happily.

. . .

Erina supposed that it was bound to happen, but she didn't necessarily expect it and certainly not in this way. She wondered if Alice knew that the pink concoction she was wearing was going to pouf most unbecomingly if she was sitting on a motorcycle. But this was only the smaller of the evils because she was supposed to be riding the said motorcycle with Souma, which was one of those things that never seemed real until it happened.

She couldn't look him in the eyes as they took their places and was steadfastly ignoring everything she could about the interaction even if her arms were wrapped firmly around his torso and her chest pressed inappropriately on his back. Souma, to his credit, hasn't been much of a dick about it and was currently struggling also not to think too much about the entire thing.

There was a large fan that was going, blowing curls loose from Erina's updo and waving slightly wildly in the air as she unconsciously hid her face in his back. It was difficult to describe what she was thinking or feeling at this moment, she wasn't annoyed or angry as she thought she would be. It was definitely more embarrassment than anything and it showed in the way her cheeks glowed slightly with red.

It was too bad that Souma, who was supposed to be 'driving' the motorcycle, was wearing sunglasses. So the camera was unable to capture the bewildered confusion mixed with a tinge of happiness in his eyes. The arms that were wrapped around his waist were pale and slim but belied a certain strength, and he couldn't think about the other point of contact or else he probably couldn't continue the shoot.

When the fans are finally cut off, Souma steps off the stationary motorcycle with a smooth step when he feels the arms loosen from his body. After pushing his sunglasses into his dark red hair he offers a hand to the woman who was still sitting on the vehicle, who seems slightly dazed as she takes it without a quip. But before she could react, Souma had tugged her close to his chest and reached down and hooking an arm beneath her knees and picking her up. Her breath stopped, whatever her mind had been wandering about to was slammed right back into the present as Souma's vibrantly gold eyes stared quietly into hers.

Souma had thought he might have been unaffected by the woman that was currently in his arms, but as he gazed into the violet eyes that seemed softened by a sheen of uncertainty his heart began to beat much too quickly. Erina had always been heart-stoppingly beautiful, but now, he couldn't even begin to describe her and out of his volition, he began to lean closer.

Erina felt as if his gaze was going to swallow her whole, it was too much and not enough at the same time. Even if she had wanted to make him put her down, the words and thoughts all died as his face moved closer and when their faces were only separated by a breath. Both of them knew not what would have happened, but they were interrupted a series of loud catcalls and whoops that echoed in the large open room, lead of course, by Alice.

Souma almost dropped Erina and said woman whispered quietly into his ear, "If you drop me, I _will_ end you."

The red-headed male swiftly put her down and reached a hand to the back of his neck as he rubbed it slightly nervously, "Aw come on, Nakiri. I'm not that weak, or are you saying something about yourself."

"Thanks for ruining the moment," but contrary to her words, Erina almost felt comforted by the badly done jibe and she flicks her hair past her shoulder with a smooth movement. Done with the shoots for the day, she couldn't wait to go home and get away from the person that was causing too much confusion to her life.

But there was a small part inside her that told her that it was too late, she was already beginning to like him too much.


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: thank you for the support, this is part 2/3 of this fic. enjoy!

**Part II**

Erina was not looking forward to the shoot today, it had been a busy week for her and no doubt for him, but there was a part of her that was unsettled. She supposed she was being silly, it most definitely had _nothing_ to do with the fact that she was slightly eager to see him again, even if it made her nervous. After what had occurred the last time they were on a set together, she wasn't sure what to expect for today, she wasn't sure if she could continue to remain unaffected.

Her violet eyes darkened with an expression that almost frightened Hisako who was taking note of the strange way that her usually immaculately blank face was marred with an unfamiliarity. Although, upon closer inspection, she realized that she had seen this expression on Erina's face which was almost always correlated with a certain redhead. As much as her childhood friend didn't want to admit it, Erina was _always_ affected by Sōma, whether its anger, annoyance, disappointment, or in recently, embarrassment. It seemed that the famed Ice Princess was not truly made of ice, and even though Hisako always knew that Erina for all her faults was someone who cared deeply, it would surprise others.

But it was obvious to the pink-haired secretary that why Erina was so affected by the presence of Sōma, the woman in question was very much oblivious. All she knew was that the thought of him would fill her with a mixture of anxiety and nervousness, emotions that she had learned to cast away at a very young age.

. . .

Sōma wasn't sure what was wrong with him, the shade of violet seemed to haunt his life for the past few weeks. No matter where he looked, there always seemed to be something of that specific shade that made him hesitate for a moment, and although he had been called dense many times, he wasn't _that _dense. However, although he knew that the source of this new obsession of his was caused by none other than the Nakiri princess that he had been spending more time with.

It was almost unfair when he had first entered the realm of 'high' fashion he had been mercilessly torn apart by the woman through an interview in the most popular magazine at the time. Being written off as nothing more than a kid who played with gimmicks who simply got lucky, Sōma had decided at that moment that he would make her eat her words.

Thus, when the two had met for the first time at a fashion gala Sōma was intent on telling her how wrong she was, here he was, invited to one of the most prestigious events. There would be no way she would be able to say anything to that.

Unfortunately, he never had the chance to get a word in when he approaches the breathtaking Nakiri Erina who was in her element and radiating more elegance than any single human being present. Missing his chance, he watched with a sinking stomach as her carefully reddened lips parted and dismissive words began to flow. And it was then that he decided he was going to show her that he could not be dismissed, that he had just as much as a right to a place in this world.

Most importantly, Sōma could not wait for the day that she had no other choice but to admit that he was better. As time passed, this became less and less of concern to the free-spirited redhead but after their unexpected 'partnership' courtesy of Alice, he finds himself more and more unsure of what exactly he felt towards the violet-eyed heiress. But as he approaches the shooting area, he cannot shake off the feeling of anticipation that coils itself around his spine.

. . .

Contrary to the usual fare, Alice tells them immediately what kind of scene they would be shooting today which was already different. Unlike the previous shoots that took place within a spacious studio, they were outside in a beautiful park that had been reserved for the day by Alice herself. The park itself was impressively large with different sections, there was a small man-made pond in the centre with an adorable gazebo nearby. There were multiple flower gardens as well as a small hedge maze along with many beautifully sculpted and trimmed trees.

The first shoot was going to be the simplest as it required little to no effort in creating an atmosphere, it was a goodbye not a breakup. Then again, it would have been impossible for Sōma and Erina to act as if they were breaking up, the emotions required for that would have been out of reach for Erina who had never even been in love. Thus, after being dressed by Alice, she stepped out of the small temporary changing stall with hesitant steps.

She did not want to admit that her heart skipped a beat in her chest, but she couldn't deny the way her eyes couldn't seem to move off of him. Perhaps it is because she hadn't seen him in a while that she was so stunned, but it didn't change the fact that she stood there like a fool. Objectively, the outfit was quite plain with a simple woolen sweater and trench coat but there was something quite magnetizing about it.

Sōma for his part was quite oblivious to everything; his mind was preoccupied with the way that the shoot was supposed to go; he wanted to make sure that there was nothing that Erina could say that he did wrong. Of course, if she truly wanted to nitpick there would be no use doing anything, but he was hoping that she had retained some of the playfulness that was present last time.

When they are finally told that everything was ready, Erina took a deep breath and strode in front of the camera where Sōma was waiting, dark red hair gently ruffled by the cool spring breeze. As per usual, Alice told them what they were supposed to be doing and without so much of word of greeting, Erina gets into position. Sōma who usually would have used such a thing to start some banter is all business today and follows her lead.

The two models stand back to back and look downwards as if just agreeing to a split standing in front of a large maple tree that had yet to bud with leaves. The scene was quite desolate, and Alice seemed to have no issues with the pictures; suddenly Sōma grabs her hand and Erina was two seconds from exploding when she catches Alice's gaze.

Her white-haired cousin looked very happy with this change and so she couldn't do anything but to grit her teeth and endure it. But there was a part of her that liked it, his hand was warm and wrapped around her smaller one. Sōma had no idea why he did it, perhaps he just wasn't thinking, but it seemed right somehow. Her soft little hand fit nicely in his, slender fingers interlocking gently with his own and mind elsewhere he slowly tightened his grip. Unbeknownst to him, a small smile began to form on his lips, ruining the entire mood of the shoot which was supposed to be a bitter parting.

Erina caught Alice's signal and without a second thought retracted her hand from Sōma's grip before lifting her chin and readying to start walking away from Sōma as instructed by Alice. However, she had only taken a few steps to realize that her 'partner' was still standing there due to the lack of sound other than her footsteps, making her turn around to see that Sōma had remained in the same position.

"Perfect!" Alice's voice carried over a significant amount of the park, her pale eyes were glimmering with excitement as she looked at the photos and, in her happiness, ran onto the set before clapping a hand onto Sōma's shoulder. "You are too good at this."

Sōma's eyes were still slightly dazed when she complimented him and because Alice was no dense block of Erina, she had a good idea as to what the situation was. She tiptoed so that her lips were close to his ear, "How much of that was acting?"

His cheeks flushed at the implication and resolutely decided to not to respond to her teasing, but the question was something that he had been asking himself. Why had he taken her hand, and most of all, why hadn't she shaken it off?

While he had been musing about this strange turn of events, Erina's gaze hadn't strayed from his figure since Alice had declared the shoot finished. As she watched Alice lean in flirtatiously into his ear and the slight reddening of his cheeks, a bitter taste was left on her tongue. She wanted to be unaffected by the scene, but it seemed that she couldn't help feeling annoyed by the thought of the two of them being together. Any further analysis of why this might be was stubbornly shoved away. Wanting to make some distance from the source of her ire, she retreats to the small stall reserved for her in the building rented out for the day.

Resting her head in her hands, Erina wonders if she was pathetic; she knew that there was nothing between the two of them but for some reason, her mind does not want to think rationally. If there was anything beyond business between Alice and Sōma, she would know and Alice herself has a significant other. But why was her chest so heavy when she watched them interact? Shaking her head, she decides to just get through this photoshoot. After all, couldn't she simply avoid him once this job was over?

Taking a deep breath, she gently claps her hands over her cheeks and quietly mumbles, "I can do—"

"Oh cousin~!" Alice's singsong-y voice was right outside of her stall and Erina immediately snaps to attention, hoping that she hadn't heard her. "It's time for your shoot, Yukihira is already done for the day."

_Had she been in here for so long?_ Erina shook her head slightly, the individual shoots were going to be fast, it was just a single change into a new outfit. It still should have taken at least half an hour, but she elected not to ask Alice as she came into the room and told her to change into a dress.

. . .

A bright red woolen coat was resting on Erina's bare shoulders, almost over shadowing the plain white dress she wore beneath it but instead complimenting it instead. Her hair was brushed out and shining brilliantly underneath the sunlight, soft curls swinging gently as she stepped up to the small pavilion. The task was extremely easy, don't look into the camera and don't look happy.

Erina wanted to laugh at the instructions that seemed suspiciously vague, after all, Alice had shown to be extremely rigorous when it came to the mood of the photos. So this seemed very out of character, nonetheless, she didn't question the demand and stood so that her arms rested on one of the edges of the pavilion. Staring outwards into the distance, she schooled her expression into nonchalance and waited a few moments.

Sōma really wasn't the type to stare, truly, but there was something so ethereal about her at that moment, so impossibly beautiful but just as lonely. It was almost as if she only held her head up because there was no one to witness when it hung low as if there was never a moment that it had hung heavily from her difficulties. Somehow, his goal had changed, rather than forcing her to acknowledge that he was better, it became more a want to stand with her.

Because although she was cool and had a tongue that could make the strongest of men feel worthless, Sōma had seen something else in these past few days. That Erina that everyone thought of as the Ice Princess was not made of ice at all, she was likely more passionate than anyone he knew. He wasn't sure exactly what he felt about her, but he knew that it wasn't purely platonic, after all, more than anything he had wanted to kiss her that day.

. . .

Paris Fashion Week was one of the few 'mandatory' events that Erina had to attend because of her status that she genuinely enjoyed. While it was never truly perfect, it was wonderful to be surrounded by something that she truly enjoyed and gaze upon the runway models with a hint of jealousy. Even though she had the 'commercial' modeling world, she was too short and curvy to make it as a runway model, making her give up on that dream early on. Regardless, it was a wonderful time to speak with designers and fellow models and a terrible time avoiding the ones that she could do very well to never breathe the same air with.

But although she wouldn't be in the spotlight of the runway, she was one of the focal points of all the cameras in any event after the walks as well as any presentations where she was the representative for the brand. It was fortunate that she didn't agree to even half of the offers for her to be their face, or else she would have had to find a way to be in five different places at once. Nevertheless, she was up and running the entirety of the event, talking to designers, interviewers, and other fellow people in the industry. Even if most of the conversations were tedious and horribly dry with people either trying to kiss up to her or tell her discreetly how she didn't work for her position, there were the rare ones that could bring a genuine smile to her face.

Clad in a slim leather jacket and contrasting blouse and slacks, Erina was the picture of put together and beautiful. Of course, it was all given to her by the fashion house that she was currently working for, so it wasn't her work entirely, what was her work was the way that everyone flocked to the exhibit. By the last day, she was more than ready to just go back home and rest for two days straight, but then something happens or rather _Sōma_ happens.

She knew he was here; it would only be by a massive mistake that he wasn't because he was associated with a few brands as well. Not in the way that Erina was of course, but through either past campaigns or projects, Sōma was going to be a big part of Fashion Week. And no one seemed to shut up about him, while she drew in many people to events with her name tagged onto them, he did not lose out by much. It wasn't until she realized that he had been doing some live shoots that she realized why people were so eager to see him in action.

As she waited for Hisako to pick her up from the last venue of the day, something else shows up instead, or rather a redhead in a Vespa shows up. He too was outfitted in a leather jacket, but the resemblance stopped there as his clothing was much more casual. Ripped black jeans and a short-sleeved tee that had a brand name printed stylishly on it.

"Yo," Sōma greeted, wild hair even more messed up after he ran his hands through it, "What're you up to?" Gently killing the engine of the rented vehicle that had taken him across the city for the past few days, he notices the tired look in her eyes.

"Going home," Erina replied, fighting the urge to cross her arms over her chest, "And sleeping for two days straight."

The youthful grin on his face was at odds with the pinched frown on hers as he teases, "So boring, why don't go have some fun? Since you have two days off anyway, you might as well spend it in an actually worthwhile way."

"I have better things to do than cavorting around, once I get back to Japan I'll have to start planning and organizing the next few weeks," Erina tilted her chin haughtily, "Unlike _some_ people, I like to ensure that my life is well ordered."

"You know what I call that?" Sōma's eyes sparkled with energy that seemed to emanate from his very being, golden irises glinting happily in the setting sun, "_Boring_. Come on, you're in _Paris _for Christ's sake! Have some fun, live a little."

The strawberry blonde huffed while rolling her eyes, "You act like I've never been in Paris before."

Sōma leans casually onto the handlebars of the Vespa, head tilted slightly as he speaks, "Let's be honest; you don't have to pretend that you've been in the street markets or strolled around without the aid of your limo." He raises an eyebrow, daring her to contradict his words.

And she can't. Erina has only been at the 'must-see' sites in Paris, and never without an entourage ensuring that everything was perfect for her viewing, forget strolling down the Seine, it was more of an Eiffel Tower to the Louvre to the airport sort of thing. Her eyes are pensive as she stares down at her heel clad feet, wondering where exactly he was going with this.

"I could be your tour guide," Sōma's grin was wide and inviting, the perfect smile to swoon over, "I promise it'll be worth your while." At this he extended a hand fitted in a fingerless glove, waiting for her response with bated breath, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He was waiting for her quick refusal and sharp dismissal, but to his surprise and pleasure, a pair of luminous violet eyes met his tentatively. He didn't think it was possible, but his heartrate increased, even more, hoping against all odds that she would agree.

"But Hisako is still coming to pick me up, it would also be terribly irresponsible of me—" Erina is cut off by a much too enthusiastic deflection of her flimsy excuses.

"I'm sure your secretary would have no problems with taking the evening off, I'm sure she deserves the rest. And to hell with responsibilities, I'm sure you've been saddled with enough of them these past few days, it's about time you let them go," he didn't waste a second and immediately reached for the extra helmet he rented for this exact, improbable situation. "Catch."

Erina caught it reflexively, a mildly beaten up and entirely unsanitary helmet lay in her hands as she contemplated doing what he suggested. While normally she would have never fallen into such temptation, the mixture of never-ending stress and the way that the setting sun wreathed him in golden light pushed her to shove the thing over her head and slide into the seat he allocated for her.

"Hold on tight," Sōma told her before starting up the vehicle and driving into the distance with a princess holding onto his midsection for dear life. But even if said princess did yelp when he first shot off, she couldn't deny that she hadn't felt so alive in a long time.

. . .

_So many people_, was the first thought that crossed Erina's mind when they arrived at the market and made their way closer to where all the hustle and bustle was. She hadn't ever been in a crowd where people were pushing and shoving each other all whilst calling out to friends or vendors, if it wasn't for the easy smile on Sōma's face, she could almost admit to being intimidated. Following in his sure footsteps, she wonders what could possibly be so entertaining about this decidedly crowded place.

"Is this what I've been missing out?" Erina asked offhandedly, "I almost feel fortunate."

Sōma wasted no time and snatched her hand from her side, cheeky smile on his lips as he replied, "You haven't even experienced it yet, counting the chickens before they hatch, aren't ya?"

She flushes a delightful pink, "Alright, fine. Lead the way, tour guide." As soon as these words leave her mouth, she's virtually dragged into the market by an overenthusiastic redhead that began darting from stall to stall like an industrious bee. Even if she did want to call him out on taking her hand, she elected not to. Of course, it made sense that he would, given how terribly full this area was, definitely not because it was pleasant in any sense.

One of the first stalls that Sōma actually stops at is filled to the brim with fresh fruits, mainly apples that glowed with rich reds, yellows, and greens. He greeted that young woman manning the shop with a bright _bonjour_ and to her shock, spoke in fluent French inquiring the price of the apples.

After purchasing two, he hands one to her, "This _mademoiselle_ always has the best apples in this entire market, they have a _je ne sais quoi_ [1], a freshness to them? You won't regret it."

The young woman looked at the two startling beautiful people with a look of curiosity, Sōma had only really come alone before so understandably she inquired, "_Vous n'avez pas dit que vous avez une petite amie, elle était tellement belle!_" [2]

Erina, who could speak French, was understandably was embarrassed by the words and didn't know if she should correct the vendor of the misconception when Sōma simply thanks her and begins pulling Erina to the next destination. The woman that is currently being pulled is slightly confused at his actions but soon she's distracted by the next stall that was filled with little trinkets and small paintings being manned by an elderly gentleman. As she bit into the apple, the crisp sweetness floods her mouth and she can't help but to let out a small exclamation of surprise.

"Delicious, right?" Sōma tugs her slightly closer, "Definitely one of the best apples I've ever had; but wait till you've seen the _boulangerie_ stalls. They have the best bread and close by is the place with the freshest jam, that is truly a trip for your taste buds."

"How come you speak French so well?" Erina asks the question had been niggling at the back of her mind for the past little while. As far as she knew, Sōma had been born and raised in Japan so contact with French should have been close to nil.

The redhead shrugs offhandedly, preoccupied with a new stall that was filled with tiny baskets of raspberries, "My agent slash mentor is based in France, so when he first took me on, he brought me here for a few months. Picked up the language then, it made life a lot easier if I could speak French."

"Oh," was the response, Erina realized that there were many things that she didn't know about this man and she wasn't sure what exactly she felt about it. There was a surprisingly large part of her that was willing to know more about him and enjoy his company, and for once she decides to go with that. She then realized that there was no one watching her, scrutinizing her every move and waiting to criticize; no one cared if she threw her hands into the air and yelled at the top of her lungs (not true, people would probably be concerned). But it was as if a weight she never knew existed had been lifted and bounds that were restricting her had dissolved into nothingness. Her lips lifted slowly into a smile that would have rivaled Aphrodite herself and her eyes were soft with happiness.

When Sōma finishes perusing the wares and had decided against purchasing, he turns to lead Erina to the next stall that he frequented on his trips to this market, only to feel like he's been hit in the chest. Even though her gaze wasn't directed towards him, she radiated a beauty that would have bewitched anyone who looked; his hand unconsciously tightened its hold on hers. It was when he saw this expression that any anxiety or lack of surety of his feelings faded, although the 'usual' Erina was fun to tease and even more fun to compete against, it was this Erina that made him want to hold onto her and never let go.

"Next stop~!" Determined to have a fun evening, Sōma begins to tug her towards the next vendor that he was familiar with. Surprisingly, Erina didn't say anything in response and simply allowed herself to be towed away by him.

. . .

"I am not wearing those shoes!" Erina refused vehemently, expression cross as Sōma waved a pair of decidedly ugly sneakers in front of her. "Not only do they clash terribly with my outfit, but they are an absolute nightmare."

Sōma argued in response, "But you can't possibly wear heels for the rest of the evening, we've already done a lot of walking and the stroll by the Seine is very much walking. Don't be silly."

"You're the silly one," Erina retorted, huffy at his insult as she scanned the modest store for something else to wear, "I didn't say that I didn't want to change my shoes, but the ones that you're holding up are unwearable."

"What's wrong with them?" Sōma frowned, the loud patterns and obnoxious colouring fit well with his idea of street fashion.

Erina just shook her head before pointing to a pair of neat white oxford shoes that matched the white leather of her jacket, "I'll take those in my size." Really, the redhead could be terribly dense when it came to women's fashion, or rather women's fashion that Erina liked. After slipping the shoes on, she lets out a sigh of relief internally; no matter how used to stilettos she was, walking for extended periods of time was not something she could get used to. Frankly, her tolerance was already sky-high, but a full day of walking and standing? She'd like to keep her ankles and toes, thank you very much.

Secretly he thought that her choice made a bit more sense, it was just that he automatically thought of sneakers when it came to comfortable shoes. "Let me get them for you."

"Why?" Erina tilted her head slightly in question, "Don't worry about it, you know that I'm more than able to buy this for myself. Besides, you've been buying everything that we've been eating, at least let me purchase this."

"Today is my treat," he smiled warmly at her, "It was my idea to bring you out here, I should make sure that you're having a fun time."

Erina's cheeks pinkened, dewy skin flushed delicately as she looks down shyly. _This seemed more and more like a date_. "It's not a date, you don't need to feel the need to do this for me."

As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them because she realized that she _wanted_ it to be a date and Sōma's once bright grin dimmed quite obviously. It was times like these that made her rue the fact that she was so terribly inadept in these situations, she never thought she would like the company of someone else so much.

Sōma's chest felt tight and stuffy as he mulled over her words, he had hoped that perhaps she wouldn't mention it and they could simply each think of the evening as whatever they liked. Initially, he wanted to brush it off as a joke but when he glanced at the expression of nervousness and hesitancy on her face, he decided to take a chance.

"What if I wanted it to be?" his heartbeat pounded behind his ears, she could so easily crush his heart right now. This vulnerability was something new to the ever-impervious Sōma who kept himself safe from hurtful words. But it was worth it, the way that Erina's violet eyes immediately locked onto his with a glint that seemed very much like hope, the soft happiness returned to her gaze. She lowered her gaze and fiddled with her hands as she summoned the courage to respond.

"Then you should have said so earlier," she mumbled quietly, a sweet little smile slips onto her lips as she looks him in the eyes and continues, "I would have said yes."

. . .

The two of them thoroughly enjoyed the next few hours, jumping from one place to the next all on Sōma's Vespa that raced nimbly through the traffic. As the evening went on, Erina felt more and more free, relishing in the banter she shared with Sōma and even being the instigator of more than a few of their 'spats'. She couldn't remember a time that she had so much fun, so this time was only more precious.

In one hand was a cup of fresh ice cream while the other was firmly intertwined with her 'tour guide's; the two of them were ending their day with a slow walk down the Seine. The sky had finally darkened but the lights provided enough for them to get by. They were by no means alone, there were a number of other couples that seemed to have the same idea.

"Thank you," Erina broke the comfortable silence, "I had a lot of fun today, even though I was sure it wasn't going to be. I really appre—" here her throat closes up, embarrassment and nervousness preventing her from continuing.

Throwing the finished ice cream cup away, the two of them fall into silence again. While the blonde one was busy freaking out and calling herself an idiot for saying what she said. The redheaded one, on the other hand, had a very pensive expression on his face before he pulls the other close, taking her other hand as well.

"Nakiri Erina," Sōma said, eyes luminous with an emotion that he himself would not be able to recognize, "You may be the most stuck up and cold woman I have never met." At this, he lifts a finger to halt the stream of defenses that she was about to let loose, "But also the most hardworking, talented, and beautiful."

At these words, the not-so-ice-princess simply becomes a blushing mess, her lips were parted in shock and her eyes were twinkling with emotion that she didn't know that she was capable of. "Oh, um—" Her heart was beating too fast, she couldn't think.

Luckily for her, Sōma wasn't looking for a verbal response and was slowly leaning closer and closer, wanting to know what her lips would feel like on his. Now that he was close, he could tell that there was a scent that was faintly sweet emanating from her and it was quite intoxicating. Erina's eyes fluttered closed as she felt his breath brushing her lips when a loud screech sounded on the road next to them, startling her out of the moment. Her head immediately bumped harshly onto his and they both let out a hiss of pain.

The vehicle responsible for this travesty was none other than her own limo that was supposed to have picked her up this afternoon, and Erina bit down on a curse. It must have been an emergency that would have forced Hisako to track her down, she supposed that the 'date' had to end sometime.

"Erina-sama," the pink-haired woman was flustered and panicked as she hurried to Erina's side with several papers clipped onto her board and pens in disarray in her hair, "We must return to Japan now, the jet has been prepped already. Tsukasa Eishi had contacted me and said that your joint campaign is in jeopardy because of a leak."

She could already feel a headache forming and a faint squeeze of her hand reminded her of the other 'crisis' that had been avoided. There was no way she could continue to stay here with him, and as if he knew he had already begun to let go.

"Thank you for deciding to come on this trip with me," he smiled gently, almost indulgently at her contrary to his usual wide smile. But just when he was about to let go, heart heavy knowing that this may have been the only chance to truly win her over, he felt an almost violent tug on his arm. He leaned down reflexively and before he could comprehend what was going on, Erina's lips had already left his cheek.

Erina's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, "Run out of words, have you?" Decidedly avoiding the way that Hisako stared at her as if she had lost her mind, she waves goodbye to the still shell-shocked redhead while her face is flushed with red. She wasn't sure where her courage came from, but she didn't regret it at all if not for the silly expression on Sōma's face.

. . .

As soon as Erina had a bit more distance from the situation, she begins to think too much, mind going haywire trying to figure out if what she had done was okay. Her thoughts were running everywhere from the possibility that Souma was actually disgusted to kisses on the cheek being able to transfer diseases. But if Hisako sat down, which she did, and asked, which she did, "Do you regret it?"

She only had one answer: no. Even though retreating back into her shell would have kept her safe from emotional harm, it did unsurprisingly little when it came to her emotional turmoil. But with Sōma she doesn't just feel like a world-famous model or the Nakiri heiress; she feels like she could be herself, not completely cold and heartless but awkward and unsure. Even though the idea of being vulnerable made Erina terribly uncomfortable, if it was Sōma perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Even now, the thought of the evil redhead caused her heart to beat a little faster.

. . .

"Kid, you are on the one-way road to falling in love," Shinomiya shook his head, looking at the starry-eyed Sōma who was sitting directly across from him. "Who is it?"

"Well she can be mean at times, but her spunk makes her even more special," the golden-eyed man was about to sigh but he continues, "You know her, in fact, I have an ongoing photo shoot with her."

The pink-haired mentor felt as if ten years had been shaved off this life at this news, "_Nakiri Erina_? That's who you were on a date with? How did you two not kill each other, and why were you even together?"

It was too late; he wouldn't be getting any answers from Sōma who was busy reliving the moment that she had kissed him and he wondered if it was normal to feel like his stomach to be doing backflips. It wasn't the first time a girl had kissed him, but this was the very first one that made him feel like he could do anything.

In fact, the first thing he had done when he finally snapped out of his stupor was the yell an obnoxious load '_YES!_' across the slow-moving river. There were quite a number of people who were already watching the entire situation and at this, they decided that whatever was going on was incomprehensible. Sōma could care less if people thought he was crazy.

Now for the tricky part, what was he going to do if she pretends that this didn't happen? He was hoping that this won't happen, but he was ready to fight for a place next to her and the world better be ready if something stands in his way. Even though he does not expect it to be an easy fight, he nonetheless knows that if there is one thing that he is undefeated in, it would be stubbornness.

. . .

[1] I don't know

[2] You didn't say that you had a girlfriend, she is so beautiful!

My french isn't that great, corrections are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

a/n sorry for the wait! this took a while to tie up and finish. i just wanted to get it out there so please forgive me of my lack of editing. (will go back and check it after i sleep) thanks for showing interest for my little fic, please enjoy the final installment!

**Part III**

The next time they met was at one of the last shoots for Alice, both of the leading roles were feeling very antsy as the date drew closer, after all, there were so many things that could go wrong. It was as if the delicate balance that they had experienced in Paris was only just a dream, yet both of them were unwilling to let go of it. The strawberry blonde woman was feeling her stomach turn over and over as her car arrived at the castle that Alice had managed to reserve for the evening.

It had been over a week since she had last spoken to Sōma, and she wondered how he was doing. Was it only her that had found herself so terribly distracted by just the thought of him? She found herself thinking about him whenever she allowed her mind to wander, the exact shade of his golden eyes and the feeling of his warm palm enveloping hers. Every single time she found herself drifting off because of him, her face would pinken slightly in embarrassment and she cursed him under his breath. Unbeknownst to her, her fingers had begun twisting slightly in her lap at the thought of encountering him once more.

. . .

Sōma was not much better off, whatever experience with women that he had before Erina was basically useless; after all, she was not only the first person that he wanted so badly but also so different from the people that he was usually surrounded by. Ever since that evening in Paris, he couldn't help but wonder if she would revert to her cool and distanced self, making his heart feel heavy in his chest. Perhaps that was why he held back from contacting her because even the slightest possibility of her brushing the entire thing off terrified him.

But he couldn't put it off forever, in fact, there was even a part of him that relished in the challenge ahead and that was the side that he leaned heavily on for support. However, when he realized that he had arrived earlier than the heiress, he fought down a bit of disappointment before being dragged to do makeup and styled by Alice herself. That was when he realized something critical, he was going to be wearing a suit.

Sōma and suits didn't get along, not only was it difficult to express individuality in something that so lacked it, but it always felt like it didn't belong. The rich fabrics that spoke only of the greatest luxuries were something that he had trouble feeling comfortable in. While usually, the clothing that Alice put him in made him feel as if he was wearing his own skin, suits always made it seem as if he was trying to be something that he wasn't. And of course, the root of his problem; he had extreme difficulty giving the aura of 'you are below me' that came to Erina so easily.

He was also handed a domino mask that hid most of his features from the scrutiny of the camera, which eased his discomfort slightly. As soon as he had finished with the styling, Alice pulled him out to begin his individual shots which only barely passed her standards, only okaying a few photos.

"When is Nakiri going to be showing up?" Sōma asked, trying to be nonchalant about the inquiry but failing miserably due to the almost eager way his voice caressed her name.

The white-haired cousin of said person was quick to the uptake and a sly smile emerges on her lips as she appraised the smartly dressed male in front of her, "Why are you so curious? This is the first time you took the initiative to ask about her."

"I-I'm not curious at all," he stammered, startled by the way that Alice seemed to sense the finer wavelengths of his question. "Just, you know, the concern of a casual co-worker, nothing more in that sense."

Alice wondered if the red-head could hear what he was saying right now, she supposed that the saying was more than correct that love made people bumbling idiots. She looked at him pointedly, "You're being so obvious right now, you don't have to hide it. I knew you liked her since ages ago; the determination you had for beating her is a lot different from your ambition of conquering the fashion world."

Sōma's shoulders sagged slightly, "I know, I didn't even think I saw her that way until a couple of days ago. How do you go about wooing a woman who has pretty much anything that she could want?"

"I think you've been doing a fine job," Alice laughs at the familiar dense Sōma resurfacing, "I'm almost completely convinced that you've been putting the moves on her since the beginning of this project."

His expression spoke of absolute scandalization, "I have been nothing but professional ma'am, how could you make such a conjecture? You wound me."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that again," Alice smirked, vibrant eyes looking unnervingly into his with expectation. "That you saw her as the same as any other female co-worker that you've had."

He remained silent before uttering two words, "You win." He liked Nakiri Erina, he wasn't completely sure when it started, but it had been swimming repressed in the recesses of his heart for a long time. Now that it had the chance to come forth, he doubted it would fade and would more likely grow over time.

. . .

She was only able to steal a glance of what she thought was Sōma's silhouette before being dragged off by her one and only cousin. But from what little she could see, he was wearing a suit that framed his toned figure in a fashion that should have been illegal, but the way he was standing draped casually on a pillar clashed with the mood.

"So, Erina," Alice's scarlet gaze was appraising the nervous way that she was sitting stiffly on the chair, steadfastly avoiding making eye contact, "You definitely missed some important details on your little _excursion_ with Sōma."

Against her will, her cheeks flushed and betrayed whatever lie she was going to tell her surprisingly observant cousin, "It was just a kiss on the cheek okay? Is that what he told you? I'll kill him."

"Oh ho~!" Came the surprised sound, she knew that there was more to the story than Erina had told her judging from the way that Sōma had been behaving. However, never would she have guessed that not only did something happen, but _Erina_ had been the one to make the first move. "You were holding out on me, I thought you trusted me more than that."

Alice leaned in closer to her usually so impeccably emotionally sterile cousin and friend with a conspirator's smile, "Sōma didn't breathe a word of this in my direction, but the two of you are not exactly discreet when it comes to this kind of thing. But enough of my gossiping, we still have to get you ready for today's shoot."

Giving the makeup artist some very instructions, Alice decided to tweak the main outfit of the shoot with a specific goal in mind. She had always been a meddler and with such a perfect opportunity in front of her, how could she possibly resist? Sōma and Erina are still skating around each other so cautiously, so why not throw some tension in the mix, it'll certainly make them re-evaluate what they thought of the other. Alice's neatly manicured hands ran down the stunning black gown with a devious grin on her lips as she thought about the pot that she would be stirring.

. . .

When he hears the confident stride that belonged to none other than that of the woman haunting his every thought, he turns only to feel that all of the air had been sucked out of his lungs. The neckline of the black dress was quite modest in truth, there were 'straps' that seemed to be made with nothing more than velvet sown onto some see-through fabric so there was no scandalous plunging neckline. But what for whatever the fabric hid, it contoured and emphasized every inch of her womanly frame; the contours of her slim waist and dangerous curve of her hips were all displayed.

By the time he tore his gaze away from her and met her eyes, she had already drawn surprisingly close. She too was wearing a delicate mask, a flimsy piece of fabric that matched her dress with detailed curling designs framing her bewitching eyes. Unlike the earlier shoots where her makeup had been tastefully simple, this time the makeup was done with the intention of seduction.

Sōma wasn't sure why that was the first thing he thought of, but as he watched her ruby red lips curl into a slight smile, he decided that his earlier conjecture was only too apt. So distracted he was by these thoughts that he had trouble thinking of an appropriate greeting.

Erina paused for a moment, waiting for him to say something but when nothing was forthcoming, she frowned, "Evening Yukihira, I trust that you are ready for today's shoot, even though you're looking a little stiff."

Sōma held in a wry chuckle at the description that seemed almost ironically accurate of his current state of affairs, "Not really used to the pomp and luxury of today, you'll have to forgive me."

At his words, the awkward atmosphere melted slightly, as Erina tossed her long blonde hair over a shoulder, "As I would've expected for someone like you," although the familiar bite of her voice was decidedly missing, "But no matter, I suppose I will have to help you through it."

"And the Ice Princess hath returned," Sōma smiles, golden eyes sparkling with easy humour, "Was wondering when she was going to make an official comeback."

"Oh, you don't know when to shut up, do you?" Erina huffs, unfamiliar to the warm tide of _something_ that accompanied his light teasing, "If you're going to be difficult then forget I offered." She then deliberately turned around and began walking away.

_Sweet baby Jesus_. Sōma doubted that there was anything that could have prepared him for the sight in front of him now; the dress that he had thought was surprisingly demure in neckline made up for it amply with the fact that it basically _had no back_. Her ivory-like skin seemed to glow against the darkness of her dress, framed by the same winding patterns of velvet that only made the sight even more mesmerizing. Even though he liked to think of himself as someone who had not only seen many beautiful women, but worked with and been with them, Erina was something else.

As if she could feel his heated look on her, she turns around with an almost playful glint in her eyes that had only one meaning: a challenge. When her gaze meets with Sōma's however, she represses a shiver of anticipation to remain as if unbothered. She was anything but. There was an expression of pure fire on his face, his eyes were sharp and alert, golden irises trained on her every movement with a distinctly dangerous light.

Turning back around, she smiles inwardly and ignores the way that her legs seem to have lost eighty percent of their strength.

. . .

There was a golden circle that rested on her brow, delicate and designed so beautifully that Erina wondered if this was really supposed to be a crown. Her individual shots had quickly been finished, this kind of shoot was her bread and butter; there was no way she could screw it up. However, when Alice leads her to the ballroom where she and Sōma were to some composite pictures, her white-haired cousin had a decidedly smug expression on her face.

When the ornate doors were opened, she was confronted with a devilishly handsome Sōma who was holding a dark red rose as if he had been waiting for her. Erina's expression betrayed her surprise at the scene but despite knowing that it was staged her cheeks pinkened quite obviously. Alice had conveniently disappeared and positioned herself close to the photographer, and Erina's bewildered face was becoming more and more frustrated from the lack of cues Alice was giving her.

Turning back to Sōma, she reaches a hand out to take the rose, nervousness rising from the unexpected scenario. But instead of giving her the flower, he uses this as an opportunity to pull her into his arms in a dizzyingly fast movement that causes her to lose breath. Before she could yell at him for his inappropriate behaviour, he leans so his lips barely brush the shell of her ear.

His voice was lower than usual with a faint huskiness that sent Erina's stomach into somersaults, "Could I have this dance?"

"Who asks that after they have the person in question in their arms already?" the violet-eyed woman was trying to regain some semblance of calm; her heart was pounding too quickly in her chest as she felt her partner's hand rest in the middle of her back.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sōma chuckled before leading her into a slow waltz, movements purposefully stilted to provide the opportunity for the photographer to take the photos needed. But even then, he was thankful for the slow pace because Erina's skin was so impossibly soft beneath his palm, making his mind wander into places that it shouldn't.

Erina's hand rested delicately on his shoulder while she resisted the urge to give it a slight squeeze to see if his shoulders looked as strong as they looked. Even the thought of being so forward caused her cheeks to warm, never mind the too warm hands that were currently holding her. "You are so pushy."

Sōma's lips quirked up into a sly smile, "Complain all you like, but you like my pushiness."

"You—" The blonde woman wasn't sure what to say in response, her cheeks puffing slightly in frustration and looking too adorable for her own good. "Don't go putting words in my mouth."

"I could put something else, if you so wish," the words slipped out, it didn't really occur to him that he was holding the modern version of a princess in his embrace. And when he realized, he wished _he_ had put his foot in his mouth.

"You seem to like courting death," Erina's jaw was tense with a mixture of both anger and embarrassment as she glared up at him. The bite of her words was softened completely by the raging blush on her cheeks, the colour deeper than he had seen so far.

Sōma chuckled bashfully, trying to turn the direction of the conversation away from his verbal faux pas. "I would rather court _you_. I'm sorry about that if it made you uncomfortable."

Her violet eyes glimmered in the light, raw with something that she couldn't identify as her heart beat quickly in her chest, "I'm glad you realized how crass that was." Unable to continue what she was going to say in response to the other comment, her gaze lowered and hesitantly leaned her head onto his chest. She was hit with almost immediate regret and fear, wondering if she was being too forward and she would have retracted if it wasn't for the way that Sōma's heart was beating with a furious rhythm. Like hers.

For all the quips and teasing, Erina had never felt as comfortable so close to another person that wasn't part of her immediate family so quickly. There was something about the insufferable redhead that made her feel at ease in his presence, something that drew her to him even more than his undeniably good looks. For the first time in a long time, Erina was truly happy.

Sōma himself couldn't believe what was happening, it seemed just too perfect to be true and even the soft warmth of her cheek couldn't convince him completely that _the_ Nakiri Erina was here. Doing this. Rendering his mind utterly unable to come up with a coherent thought. His arm tightened infinitesimally around her slim waist as he looks down on her ethereally beautiful face. Her eyes were closed, blonde eyelashes resting delicately on her peach-hued cheeks, the delicate slope of her nose as well as her slightly parted lips that looked much too inviting. He sighs a happy sigh before gently placing his cheek on top of her circlet crowned head.

In that moment, the large ballroom glowed with a warmth that had little to do with the lights or sunset, as the two individuals swayed gently together on the gleaming floor.

. . .

The café was unassuming and plain, but that was not true of the pastries as well as drinks that they served. One of his preferred haunts, Sōma took care to conceal some of the obvious traits to his identity with a pair of sunglasses and scarf that he had wrapped haphazardly around his head. Sitting across from him was Megumi, of the first friends he had made when he initially entered the business of commercial modeling. While not popular to the level of Erina or someone like Hayama Akira, one of his rivals, she was none the less greatly successful in her career.

Her light-yellow eyes were wide with disbelief as he recounts what had occurred the other day with the infamous Ice Princess. With her lips pursed into a thoughtful frown, the petite blue-haired woman studied the expressions and mannerisms of the male before her before coming to a conclusion. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" Upon seeing the sheer shock at her pronouncement, she back-tracks a little. "Well if you're not in love with her, you're about a half-step short. I've never seen you so…passionate about something like this."

"I know," Sōma's earlier enthusiasm is killed for the most part, feeling a bit tired and confused, "It just seems so crazy, if you told me a month ago that Nakiri and I were heading in the direction of being an item, I would have just left the conversation. But now, I wonder if there's even anything more that I want more."

Megumi's lips were quirked upwards with a hint of pleasure, "Well, when has your life ever gone according to plan? I'm surprised it took you this long to see the chemistry between you and Nakiri-san." At least if they did become a thing, she wouldn't have to deal with the _many_ women who tried to weasel into a date with Sōma through her.

The redhead laughed brazenly as if whatever worries he carried before had been cast away, "You're right, too right. What's even the point of fighting this, I've been chasing her for so long that this won't even be much of a change."

"When am I not right?" The pretty woman grinned; cheeks dusted with a faint blush of happiness. "You'll just have to resign yourself to be the dummy you have always been."

"Yeah, yeah," Sōma shook his head, "But I also wanted some advice, how the heck do I ask her to, you know…" His voice trailed off as an embarrassed tone appeared in his voice.

Megumi chuckled at the mess that her friend was reduced to, "You've been doing fine so far, I'm sure she's smitten already, no matter what she might say. Just tell her how you feel, there's little to go wrong with there."

Sōma takes a long drink of his lemon tea, letting the faint sourness wake him up, "I suppose so, there's really nothing else to do. Thank you, by the way."

"You don't even have to," she replies as she pulls her jacket over her shoulders, "I've got to get going, I've got an interview with Isshiki-senpai in an hour. So gotta prepare for that."

The golden-eyed male stands up as well to send his friend off with a light hug as he watches her disappear into the throngs of people. Taking a seat once more, he allows his muscles to sag into the plush chair finally relaxed and reaching once more for his tea.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of hurt violet eyes had been watching virtually the entire exchange with steadily growing unfounded anger, wasn't it her that had wanted to tell him to keep a distance for the rest of the project. Erina stared at her pink-haired secretary who was doing her best to conceal the mischievousness swimming in her eyes as she glared at the bane of her existence.

"Erina-sama?" Hisako asked, voice soft as she thinks about how silly her boss was currently being, "Did you still want to talk to Yukihira-san about the situation?"

"Hmph, who wants to talk to him?" Erina wasted not a second more and stormed out of the decently sized café with a severe expression on her face. "Let's go."

. . .

There was no other word for it, Hisako thought to herself as she watched her long-time friend pace around her modestly sized office. Nakiri Erina was _sulking_. Her 'boss' had never felt so confused and it was written all over her face, which was perhaps one of her greatest weaknesses. The subject of her ire was quite silly, in Hisako's personal opinion but then again Erina had never had the luxury of being a silly teenager that fooled around with boys or even really gossiped about boys in general. It was not strange that she would feel so conflicted, in the end, she would have to realize for herself what she wanted.

The strawberry-blonde princess flops onto the business chair with a loud huff, "Hisako, could you be so kind as to get me a cup of tea? Thank you."

As her secretary leaves the room, she takes a deep breath and begins to sort through her thoughts for the umpteenth time in the last two days, ever since she had seen _him_ at that café. She didn't want him; Yukihira Sōma was nothing more than a pain in her life and had little redeeming qualities. Not only would he distract her from her career, but he was also one of her greatest rivals, perhaps everything that had so far occurred was an elaborate ploy.

There was nothing worthwhile about him, not his infectious happiness, snarky quips, or his stupidly good-looking face. Whatever he had to offer was nothing compared to the hard work she had painstakingly piled on day after day, and this was why they shouldn't be together in the first place. But then why did her chest hurt so much seeing him with someone else?

Erina lay down on her large mahogany desk, head resting softly on her folded arms as she sighed deeply; it was stupid. The entire thing was idiotic, when did this happen, why did it have to happen? This was the one thing that she hated more than anything, feeling so powerless and so weak. Her fists clenched as she revisited their embrace and happy smiles, her heart felt impossibly heavy as she thought about seeing Sōma dance with someone else in his arms. Not after she had felt what it was like in that position.

Why did she not want this? Why had she been so sure that she wanted to part of this, or whatever had been between them? The answer seemed to be escaping Erina as her mind brought thousands of images of Sōma with beautiful but nameless and faceless women, all she felt was sadness. And anger. There was a good amount of that too.

Turning so that her cheek rested on her arm, Erina breathed deeply once more to come to a conclusion. A blissful little smile appeared on her face when she realized that as much as he annoyed her, Sōma brought equal amounts of happiness; as much as she couldn't imagine being his 'girlfriend', she hated the thought of someone else taking that place more. Her bright violet eyes gleamed with a resolute light and hardened with determination, well now that she knew what she wanted, she wouldn't be backing down.

. . .

It seemed fitting that this would be the last shoot of this two-month long project, Sōma stretched in the modest vehicle that was taking him to the place that they had their first shoot. His golden eyes were dark with _something_ as they drew closer and closer to the destination, but it was his hands that truly gave away his nervousness and fear. They were white-knuckled as he held tightly to the handlebar of the car as if he were preparing himself for the final stand.

Because truly, that was how Sōma felt. This unlikely project that had brought the two of them together, from rivals to what they were now it has changed so much in his life. However, the thing that riddled him with anxiety was knowing that how they moved forward was dependent on this day. He did not want to go their separate paths, like most projects ended in, he wanted to walk together on a new path.

Exiting the car with deft movements, he plastered a confident grin onto his face. If Erina thought she would be getting away easily, she would be wrong; he had plans to charm her socks off by the end of the day. Except when he saw her dressed up for the shoot, he felt like he had his own knocked off. Perhaps it was because he had only ever seen her in semi-formal or formal clothes but the sight of Erina clad in a pair of jeans hit him like a train. The faded blue material clung greedily to her shapely legs usually looked long, but they seemed _endless_ today. It outlined her figure to perfection and sat quite low on her hips, revealing a surprising amount of midriff that was bared by the off-the-shoulder cropped top.

When Erina herself had seen the outfit that Alice had prepared, she had wanted to skin her ungrateful cousin. She was already doing this entire project for her, but now Alice dared to shove this kind of thing onto her? While Erina had worn a fair share of outrageous or revealing outfits, none was as plain or _basic_ as the one that her cousin insisted on. Although she had to admit that the top was quite the work of art, the entire shirt seemed to be trimmed with a significant amount of delicate lace and framed her collarbones beautifully.

A red flush appeared on her cheeks when she realized that Sōma was staring, quite obviously, at her and she fought the urge to launch the bag she was holding at his face. Erina simply cleared her throat loudly before looking pointedly at him when his eyes met hers. With a light laugh of amusement at his surprisingly bashful expression, she strode over to him with purpose in her steps.

"Never thought you would be caught dead wearing this kind of outfit," Sōma's smile was the same bright one with a touch of recklessness, "How much did Alice have to beg you to put that on?"

The blonde woman flicked her lightly curled hair over her shoulder, "Just because I don't usually wear this sort of thing, doesn't mean I won't look good in it."

"There is no argument over whether or not you look good," Sōma eyed her lazily, feigning confidence he did not feel, "It's just unusual." But as he watched her colour prettily, he regained his confidence from his earlier interactions with her.

Before Erina could get in a word edgewise, Sōma was being dragged away by her cousin who was mumbling something underneath her breath. As he saluted goodbye sarcastically with two fingers, she shook her head slightly in amusement at his unchanging penchant for fun.

The beautiful woman took a deep breath, willing her heart rate to settle so she could face the next few hours. She glanced at the intimidating prop that was peeking out of the corner of the background and realized that she may be into too deep already.

. . .

The set was once again minimalistic, with a brightly coloured red couch in the middle of a sparse 'living room'-like space. There were two small white tables with matching ivory coloured lamps placed on top in the way of home décor, very plain and basic. Erina knew that they would be doing the shoot together, so she strode up to the couch and sat down on an end of the sofa. Crossing her legs and leaning back onto the soft material, she prepared for the shoot that she still knew little about. When she hears the sounds of multiple feet scurrying across the concrete floor, she looks up expecting Sōma in an outfit similar to hers only to see him in a suit. Unlike the last time where it was a full out tuxedo, this was more of a casual look with no blazer or tie. In fact, he looked very relaxed with the clean white shirtsleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms and collar unbuttoned enough to see a glimpse of his lean figure.

Just like how he couldn't take his eyes off of her, she couldn't move her gaze off of him either. The mix of relaxed and professional looked like it was made for him, with his hair being left alone to be the ruffled mess that it was usually was. He was wearing his self-assured smile as he plopped himself on the other end of the couch and waving at her.

Alice stared at the two with a twitching eye, could they be more obtuse? Obviously, there was one couch for a reason, and they've been building the romance for so long now. Why the heck were they sitting as if the other were the plague? However, the photographer was snapping away happily, enjoying the shy romance that was exuding from the scene.

But Alice has had enough of shy romance from the two of them, she didn't dress them up like this for them to be all blushy and cute next to each other. She wanted sparks like the last shoot, even more, if it was possible. So, she looked at the two of them and gestured them to come closer together and grew annoyed when they moved maybe an inch in the other's direction.

"Why are you two acting like you guys never did the shoot last week? Come on, at least be touching. We're supposed to be doing something a bit more lovey-dovey," the white-haired woman impatiently demanded.

Erina glanced at her partner with a bit of trepidation before getting up and making her way to the middle of the sofa as he did the same. They sat down, or rather Erina sat down primly as Sōma flopped down after her, arm reaching around her shoulders and pulling her close. She looked at him in surprise to see a charming twinkle in his eyes that carried a bit of a baiting look.

_So this is how he wants to play it_, Erina's pink lips twisted up into a familiar smile and took his bait, turning so that she could curl herself up next to her, face resting on his chest. The camera clicked away. To be honest, she didn't particularly mind, her position wasn't exactly wholly foreign, and it was nice even if it made her slightly embarrassed. Her eyes were downcast, so she didn't see the furious gestures that Alice was busy giving to Sōma telling him this was nowhere close to enough.

He was pretty hesitant about breaking whatever delicate peace had occurred, but whatever the director wanted and to be honest, peaceful was never his scene anyway. Erina jolted slightly when she feels him slip a finger beneath her chin and slowly lift her face to his and before she could react, he leaned in so close that she could see his eyelashes. But instead of flushing like he was used to, Erina violet eyes sparkled with amusement as she whispered, "You're not making me blush today."

"Oh?" Sōma's lips slid into a dangerous grin, "Is that so?" He tilted his face so that his nose grazed her cheek.

Erina reached up so that her hand rested on his cheek, warm fingers smoothing over his skin, "That is so, in fact, _you're_ going to be the one flustered today." While she did mean during the shoot, her mind was wandering to the confession that she had been considering for the past two days.

"Hm?" Sōma felt intoxicated by the proximity, there was a faint scent that enveloped him being so close to Erina, something delicately sweet and slightly floral in nature. His eyes flickered to her defiant ones as his lips moved closer to hers. "You wanna bet on it?"

But before he could press a kiss onto the corner of her mouth, Erina does something he never would have expected. Lifting herself off from his chest and swinging a leg over his lap, she sat straddled on his legs as she pushed him back so that he was against the sofa. Her long blonde curls fell over her shoulders as she looked at him haughtily, "I'll take that bet, but if I make _you_ blush, do I get a prize?"

Sōma chokes back a curse as he feels her warm body resting on top of his, and her hands that were resting on his shoulders with a touch of flirtatiousness. Erina's smile was so playful and beautiful that he had to resist the impulse to just kiss her already. Seeing his lack of response to her question, her smile widens as she waits for the flush to just appear already.

Sadly, Sōma was able to regain his wits and chuckles lowly as his hands slip up her thighs appreciatively so that they rest on her narrow waist, skin soft and smooth beneath his palms. "Hm, since you have yet to do so, I'll take that bet. What should the prize be?"

"A request, perhaps?" Erina forcefully steadied her voice at the sensation of his thumbs that rubbed sensuous circles on her abdomen. "Of course, only if the other is willing to fulfill it." She slides her hands from her shoulders and into his dark red hair like she has been thinking of doing for ages now and leans in a little closer.

"That doesn't sound too bad," the redhead considers the proposition while being distracted by the way that her fingers were combing through his locks and sending a faint shiver down his spine. "Just don't regret it."

The shy and nervous Erina from two months ago was nowhere to be seen as she dips a little closer and stares deeply at the golden gaze of the man she was near infatuated by. And to her surprise and happiness, there was a smidgen of self-consciousness that was being drowned out by the heat of _something_ swimming there. "I know I won't."

Sōma smirks boyishly as he considers his next move, and to everyone's surprise, he does not close the distance between their lips but rather rests his forehead against hers in an action that was too innocent for their poses. But even then, both their eyes closed as they rest against each other seemingly oblivious to whatever else was going on.

. . .

The next outfit is very obviously risqué, Erina glared at Alice for a solid three minutes as the scarlet-eyed demon tried to convince her that this was even anything close to appropriate. She was now very sure that this entire situation between her and Sōma was a result of Alice's meddling, but this was the last straw. There was a robe-like coverup that was made of a fine material that had delicate wide sleeves that were tightened around the wrist and flowed full length. The thing was held together by a pretty gold belt but the outfit she was supposed to wear underneath was definitely chosen to give the impression that she was naked underneath. There was a deep V-neck shirt and a pair of indecently short shorts.

"No, are you kidding me? I did not agree to do a photoshoot that included lingerie so you can either change it or I'm leaving," Erina seethed, amethyst coloured eyes flashing with ire that threatened to explode in the next few moments.

"My dearest cousin, it's the _last_ shoot of this entire project," Alice softened her voice into one that resembled a child wheedling their parents for a bit more pocket money, "Besides, don't you want to see what I put on Sōma?"

"What does _he_ have to do with this?" But it was too late, Erina's mind had toyed with the possibilities and Alice knew that she had her.

The white-haired woman raised a hand to her chin, "Oh, I don't know. I just think that it would be such a waste if we had to switch you out for another model. It just won't have the same chemistry though."

"Fine! I'll do it alright?" Erina grumbled, cheeks slightly flushed, "But not because of Sōma, it's because I wouldn't want you to find someone else to do this when I'm perfectly capable."

The squeal of excitement from Alice nearly deafened her and Erina said a silent prayer to pass through what was likely one of the most difficult times of her relatively short life. Her hands had unconsciously clenched into fists as she considered the 'contest' that had yet to have its conclusion with Sōma. Suddenly her eyes flashed, while the outfit was horrible in the sense of being so tastelessly revealing, she supposed that this would benefit her in their bet. After all, if she won, she would have the chance to ask him to be something more than 'co-workers'.

. . .

When Erina was done being prepped and walking towards the transformed set, she saw the prop that had made her nervous before at the forefront of it all. The large four-poster bed with diaphanous curtains fastened open to reveal cream coloured sheets and similarly coloured pillows. But it was the person laying casually on said sheets that made Erina feel like someone swung golf club straight to her gut; she could feel her heart rate spike. Sōma was lounging there lazily with a pair of loose wide-legged pants, _just _the pants. She felt like a total pervert, but she couldn't stop staring at his smooth, lightly tanned skin and the delicious lines and planes that covered his chest.

Likewise, when Erina finally took a deep enough breath to join him on the set, Sōma found himself feeling like a boy fresh out of middle school and staring at all the exposed milky skin on display. He was shocked to be honest, as far as he knew, Erina had never done shoots that were sultry in nature. Sōma, on the other hand, was no stranger to photo shoots like this, but the thought of doing one with the 'goddess' was more than daunting.

As Erina placed herself next to him, the flimsy fabric falling slightly to reveal the slim shape of her legs, she fought the urge to cover herself up. It was so terribly embarrassing; she couldn't even look at Sōma never mind acting for the camera. Her fingers twisted together, and her eyes were shadowed with a tinge of fear that made Sōma's heart clench with worry.

"Hey," Sōma reached over to take her hand and pull her closer, "You okay?"

Erina's wide violet eyes finally turned to look into his, "I'm okay, just a little stressed out. You would think that Alice would have better taste than a shoot like this."

He chuckled at the barb thrown at Alice, even if he knew it was a feeble attempt of hiding her nervousness, "Yeah, this kind of thing isn't your scene, is it?"

She could feel some of the nervousness ebbing away at the light banter and her lips turn up slightly as she nods and looks down slightly. And then, of course, Alice was eagerly egging Sōma on for some…action? Dear Lord, the Nakiris were more than he could handle.

As much as he liked to tease Erina, he really didn't want her to feel so uncomfortable and so he asked, "Yo Alice, is it okay if we undo the curtains?" And without waiting for the voice of approval he quickly does it anyway so that whoever is outside can only really make out shadows.

Erina sits up, robe gaping slightly to show more of her cleavage as she tries to adjust it to her favour, "Thanks." She was staring at the slightly rumpled duvet with a hesitant frown on her lips, "You didn't have to do that."

"You're my partner, 'course I was going to help you out," the redhead looked at her seductively styled hair that was a delicately ruffled as if hands had been running through it. Perhaps in the throes of passion.

She smiles, finally relaxing completely knowing she was mostly out of view of the cameras and of her nosy cousin. "Even though I was managing it before you took it upon yourself to help." But her words were just a flimsy deflection of the warm sensation in her chest knowing that Sōma had gone out of his way to help her.

"I'm still going to get you to blush," Sōma smirks, a devilish light in his eyes as he considers what he wants to request _when_ he won, "Our little game isn't over."

To his relief, a trace of her usual fighting spirit reappears as she slides closer so that she too is lounging next to him on the bed. She reaches over so that her hand ghosts over his cheek and into his hair, "Well then, I should get to winning then." Just as she was about to pull a similar trick to earlier, Sōma moves quicker and pins her down with his own body.

"You were saying?" His voice was breathier than he intended because holy hell, the feeling of her skin on his felt like pure fire was coursing through his veins. Her expression betrayed her surprise and _there_, the pink had appeared on her cheeks. But before he could call her out on it, he felt her legs wrap around his waist and bringing him even closer.

Perhaps if it was only that, Sōma may have remained mostly unaffected, but she had also thrown her arms around his neck and was able to make him lower his face until their noses were a fraction away from touching. But the thing that pushed him over the edge was the faintly misty expression in Erina's eyes that sealed the deal, even at her most unguarded he could tell that there was one final wall that she held fast to. It was nowhere to be seen now and she looked so heartbreakingly beautiful and he held her in his arms, and he felt it.

"You're blushing," her voice was also softer than she intended, she never felt so out of control and chaotic before, "Do I win?"

"Nu-uh," Sōma chuckles lightly, "Your cheeks are a fine shade a red as well. So, we both win."

A frown creases her delicate brows as she stares at him in confusion, "Then what? We can't _both_ win, that's ridiculous."

"Hm, that's fair. Well since I made you blush first," he pauses slightly, watching her puzzled expression fade slightly, "I get my request first."

Erina's violet eyes darted to his face in confusion, but that is wiped away when he gently traces a finger on her cheek, "Then say what your request is." Her breath felt like it was being stolen away, this couldn't be for the camera, right?

"I want," his breath ghosted over her lips, "you."

And with those words, covered her lips with his and kissing her the way that he had wanted to and thought about for much too long and it was even better than he could have dreamed. Unlike his expectation of either her slapping him or laying there like a log, her lips were soft and pliant against his own, moving hesitantly as he forced himself to slow down.

Erina's heart was about to beat right out of her chest, she couldn't really fathom what was happening at all but the sensation of his lips lightly sucking and nibbling on hers caused her body to feel as if it was floating. Her attempts at returning the 'gesture' were clumsy at best, but it wasn't as if he minded before he brought it to a close.

Sōma rested his forehead on hers, "I'm sorry about that, I really shouldn't have done that, but I just want you to know that you: Nakiri Erina, has just about stolen my heart. Even with your holier-than-thou attitude and icy demeanor, you couldn't hide what a big softie you are on the inside." He is too scared to look into her piercing violet eyes as he continues, "You also happen to be the most beautiful woman on the planet."

"Don't you want to hear what my request is?" Her tone is deceptively emotionless as she waits for him to look at her. As he doesn't seem to be doing so, Erina gently raised his chin so that they were once again looking into each other's eyes. "It's quite similar to yours, actually."

Before Sōma could get in a word edgewise, Erina showed him exactly what her request was by sealing his lips with hers.

. . .

"Ice Princess, you're might want to see this," Sōma tapped the bare shoulder of the woman who was nestled into his embrace while he scrolled through his tablet. "I think we've been outed."

"_What?_" Unlike usually when it would take a fair amount of coaxing to convince her to awaken, Erina shoots up and looks at Sōma with wide and fearful eyes. "How did they find out?"

"Alice," But before he could explain, Erina was already on her cellphone ready to order an attack of rotten leaves into her cousin's apartment building. "But she didn't tell people."

Even though his girlfriend could be so many things, a princess or a seductress, she was still the most beautiful when she was flustered and adorable. Nonetheless, Erina deserved to know why exactly they have been found out when they have been keeping it down low for the last few months.

Then she sees it, the digital version of the photoshoot that told a simple yet effective love story that had a happy ending. And looking to the male to her side that she had once considered and still, for the most part, considers, rude, loud, and annoyingly stubborn, she likes him. _A lot_. Even if the photoshoot project had brought her the most stress, she would be hard-pressed to pick any other shoot that she enjoyed more. However, the greatest prize that she received was a place to call home, in this case, it is Sōma.


End file.
